The United States of America was founded upon the premise that only through the free flow of ideas could its citizens retain their liberty in a democratic society. Our Founding Fathers believed so strongly in this principle that freedom of speech was guaranteed by the Bill of Rights which they adopted as the law of the land. Today, as in the earliest days of our country's history, one of the leading means for disseminating ideas is the newspaper.
Hardly a street corner exists in a large metropolitan area of the United States that presently lacks a coin controlled newspaper vending machine. Each of these machines typically provides a windowed cabinet permitting the public to scan the cabinet contents and newspaper headlines prior to making a purchase if so disposed. Below the door on the front of the cabinet there may be provided a suitable rack to receive and display changeable exhibitor cards, such as those bearing the title of the publication to be dispensed, significant headlines or other data. Because of their proximity to the ground, these display racks cannot be viewed readily by passersby and are thus limited in their effectiveness. The need presently exists for a weatherproof display device for attachment to a coin controlled newspaper vending machine that may be readily viewed by passersby.